Susan's a math whiz and Caleb's an artist extraordinaire. That's, great but wouldn't it be better if Caleb could improve in math and Susan could develop some artistic skills? They can and it's easy.
Researchers have recently discovered that whole-brain learning or brain-based learning is an efficient and effective learning strategy that helps kids (parents and teachers, too) learn anything easily without struggling.
One feature of brain-based learning involves using both the right side and the left side of the brain. Although nobody is just left brain or just right brain, most of us have a dominance.
Susan's math aptitude means she is probably left-brain dominant, and Caleb, the artist, has a right-brain dominance.
Learning to read and write requires using both sides of the brain. So does learning math and even doing art. In fact, doing just about anything well, including thinking clearly, and even problem solving, involves using the right and left hemispheres of the front part of the brain.
How do you accomplish this? Easy. Just move across the center mid-line of your body. Every time you move your right arm to your left side or your left arm to your right side, you're crossing the mid-line and improving learning, thinking, and problem solving. Now you're using brain-based learning.
Works for kids. Works for you. Try these parenting tips and teacher resources today.
1. Give yourself a big hug
2. Tell kids the only rule is to cross the mid-line of the body, right hand to left side, left hand to right side. Now let them invent ways of doing this.
3. Dance the hula. Or twirl a hula hoop.
4. Take a Brain Boosters TeleClass. Sign up at www.brainboostersforyourkids.com Or a Brain Gym class. Sign up at www.BrainGymClasses.com
5. Do the twist. (So you weren't dancing in the 50s and 60s? Ask somebody to show you how to twist or get a dance video.) Twist with the kids while you listen to some old Chubby Checker songs.
6. Rake some leaves with your kids, making sure you're raking off to the side instead of straight in front of you.
7. Play a board game. (Use your right hand to move your piece when it's in the left corner and vice versa.)
8. Practice using your non-dominant hand to reach for things on the opposite side of your body. Even writing and drawing with your non-dominant hand helps. (You'll get better with practice.)
9. Do Yoga and Tai Chi. Lots of moves cross the mid-line.
10. Cross your ankles and arms in front or in back when you're doing jumping jacks. Kids can usually do this. If you can't, try it in a swimming pool.
This brain-based learning strategy really isn't all that complicated. Lots of everyday kinds of activities get the whole brain active. Sitting around watching TV, however, isn't one of them! You and your kids have to move around and cross your mid- line. It's fun.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Understanding Asperger’s Disorder Across Ages and Gender
By: Brian F. Roselione, M.S., LMHC, P.A.
Defining Asperger’s disorder (also referred to as Asperger Syndrome or AS) and its key features has been an evolving challenge for professionals since it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. With the proposed changes to the new DSM-V and a new name for the category, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which includes autistic disorder (autism), Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) a host of even more challenges awaits in distinguishing ASD from other conditions.
The following information was created to help families and professionals better understand Asperger’s disorder before it is removed as a diagnostic category.
Background and Foundation of Understanding
(a) Asperger’s disorder is a developmental disability that starts at birth and has a continuum of severity in all areas of development. Asperger’s is considered a neurological brain based condition. It is genetic and not "caused" by anything a parent or caregiver did or didn't do. Asperger’s is a way of thinking and learning. Asperger’s has been around as long as humans have been around. Some famous historical people with Asperger’s are believed to be Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Mozart, Bill Gates, etc.
(b) When professionals question whether or not a skill is present they are looking for more than an understanding or knowledge of a skill or concept. They are looking for both an understanding and application in daily life. For example a person can understand the social rules during Thanksgiving dinner with family but not follow those same rules during the dinner. So when you ask the question, "What are two topics we are not going to talk about this year at Thanksgiving dinner?” The answer in return might be “politics and video games.” However at dinner when someone brings up a video game or political topic the person does not ignore or avoid the topic but joins in and ignores the previous discussion about conversational rules at Thanksgiving dinner.
(c) When conducting a differential diagnosis we are looking at a totality of symptoms over time, in various situations, with a variety of people. Many children appear socially able when they are with adults, at home, or doing something they enjoy. Take the same person and observe them with same aged peers, over a three or four day period engaging in a variety of activities that involve the peer’s interests and determine whether there are any social challenges, communication difficulties, or problem behaviors.
(d) Males and females with Asperger’s will not typically present the same way diagnostically. Females have a tendency to be more social in general. The difference between males and females with Asperger’s is usually in their obsessions or restricted area of interests. Males have a tendency to become obsessed with toys and objects where females become obsessed with people and relationships. Quite often females with Asperger’s will talk about other people a lot. They will do anything, say anything, be anything to be accepted into a group or relationship. When professionals hear this report from the parent they immediately rule out Asperger’s disorder. Parents will quite often hear, “your daughter can’t have Asperger’s, she is too social”. Asperger’s disorder is not about wanting or not wanting to be social, it is about not knowing how to be social.
The number one feature in Asperger is called - Theory of Mind Dysfunction (ToMD). ToMD can be used to explain almost every challenge, behavior or social skill deficit. ToM is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and know the knowledge they know, feel the feelings they feel, understand the beliefs they have. In addition ToM also means having the ability to understand and accept that someone elses feelings, thoughts, and beliefs are as equally important as their own. This ability happens within less than a second as if it is a reflex.
ToM is not the same as understanding how someone feels when they win the lottery or lose a family member to cancer. Individuals with Asperger’s know how people feel in basic life situations. People with Asperger’s and ToMD are not thinking about other people's feelings, thoughts, and interests. When someone has a ToMD they have a tendency to assume everyone feels the same way as they do. They also have a tendency to take everything personally. Understanding how people think and feel impacts areas such as what you wear and the questions you ask or don't ask. Not having this ability can increase anxiety and create increased paranoia and agitation.
The DSM IV-TR areas of impairment:
1. Individuals with Asperger’s have difficulty in the area of social development, social skills, and social understanding/ social thinking.
a. Difficulties range from personal hygiene issues like not showering, brushing your teeth, or picking your nose at the dinner table to hurting someone's feelings by not including them in an activity or by saying something.
b. Individuals might have difficulty "reading" facial expressions, body language or environmental situations quickly. In addition they might have difficulty using this information to change their behavior and language to meet the social situation at hand. They are not taking into consideration these variables when talking and interacting with others. Social interactions are not linear in nature. Social situations are more similar to a biofeedback, interactive, flowing model in which input effects and changes output.
2. Individuals with Asperger’s typically have a restricted range of interests, intense feelings or strong opinions of certain topics, such as religion, politics, laws, etc.
a. At times can look like obsessive compulsive disorder.
b. Difficulty getting intrusive or unwanted thoughts out of their mind.
c. Can get absorbed into an activity that they lose track of time or can block out everything going on around them.
d. When these intense interests or activities are restricted or controlled by others you will typically see a "rage" episode like the world is coming to an end.
e. These restricted interests will impact social interactions if peers want to do something different.
3. Individuals with Asperger typically have communication challenges. This is a difficult area to assess at first but is critical.
a. Usually want to talk about themselves, things they did or things they are interested in.
b. Typically will not ask questions related to other people's interests.
c. Small talk or social chit chat is usually not easy or liked.
d. Might have a difficult time knowing what to say in social situations outside a work function or topics they love.
e. Difficulty with the unwritten social communication rules. For example, not calling or texting a person before 8:00am, not answering a cell phone in the movie theater, nor never asking a women her age or weight.
4. Other Challenging or Difficult Areas
a. Sensory issues such as smells, textures, sounds, etc. May have a difficult time blocking out noises when trying to read or sleep.
b. Might be a picky eater.
c. Sleep problems such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the middle of sleep and not being able to fall back to sleep, early wakening. In addition there is tremendous anxiety created about sleep and the problems they know they are going to have that night about not being able to sleep.
d. Difficulty with handwriting or written language.
e. Might be able to solve math problems but not able to show the work.
f. Individuals with Asperger’s may have very good verbal skills and high level reading skills but may not be able to explain what it is they read.
g. During anger or meltdowns usually can not remember things that were said or done.
Defining Asperger’s disorder (also referred to as Asperger Syndrome or AS) and its key features has been an evolving challenge for professionals since it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. With the proposed changes to the new DSM-V and a new name for the category, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which includes autistic disorder (autism), Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) a host of even more challenges awaits in distinguishing ASD from other conditions.
The following information was created to help families and professionals better understand Asperger’s disorder before it is removed as a diagnostic category.
Background and Foundation of Understanding
(a) Asperger’s disorder is a developmental disability that starts at birth and has a continuum of severity in all areas of development. Asperger’s is considered a neurological brain based condition. It is genetic and not "caused" by anything a parent or caregiver did or didn't do. Asperger’s is a way of thinking and learning. Asperger’s has been around as long as humans have been around. Some famous historical people with Asperger’s are believed to be Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Mozart, Bill Gates, etc.
(b) When professionals question whether or not a skill is present they are looking for more than an understanding or knowledge of a skill or concept. They are looking for both an understanding and application in daily life. For example a person can understand the social rules during Thanksgiving dinner with family but not follow those same rules during the dinner. So when you ask the question, "What are two topics we are not going to talk about this year at Thanksgiving dinner?” The answer in return might be “politics and video games.” However at dinner when someone brings up a video game or political topic the person does not ignore or avoid the topic but joins in and ignores the previous discussion about conversational rules at Thanksgiving dinner.
(c) When conducting a differential diagnosis we are looking at a totality of symptoms over time, in various situations, with a variety of people. Many children appear socially able when they are with adults, at home, or doing something they enjoy. Take the same person and observe them with same aged peers, over a three or four day period engaging in a variety of activities that involve the peer’s interests and determine whether there are any social challenges, communication difficulties, or problem behaviors.
(d) Males and females with Asperger’s will not typically present the same way diagnostically. Females have a tendency to be more social in general. The difference between males and females with Asperger’s is usually in their obsessions or restricted area of interests. Males have a tendency to become obsessed with toys and objects where females become obsessed with people and relationships. Quite often females with Asperger’s will talk about other people a lot. They will do anything, say anything, be anything to be accepted into a group or relationship. When professionals hear this report from the parent they immediately rule out Asperger’s disorder. Parents will quite often hear, “your daughter can’t have Asperger’s, she is too social”. Asperger’s disorder is not about wanting or not wanting to be social, it is about not knowing how to be social.
The number one feature in Asperger is called - Theory of Mind Dysfunction (ToMD). ToMD can be used to explain almost every challenge, behavior or social skill deficit. ToM is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and know the knowledge they know, feel the feelings they feel, understand the beliefs they have. In addition ToM also means having the ability to understand and accept that someone elses feelings, thoughts, and beliefs are as equally important as their own. This ability happens within less than a second as if it is a reflex.
ToM is not the same as understanding how someone feels when they win the lottery or lose a family member to cancer. Individuals with Asperger’s know how people feel in basic life situations. People with Asperger’s and ToMD are not thinking about other people's feelings, thoughts, and interests. When someone has a ToMD they have a tendency to assume everyone feels the same way as they do. They also have a tendency to take everything personally. Understanding how people think and feel impacts areas such as what you wear and the questions you ask or don't ask. Not having this ability can increase anxiety and create increased paranoia and agitation.
The DSM IV-TR areas of impairment:
1. Individuals with Asperger’s have difficulty in the area of social development, social skills, and social understanding/ social thinking.
a. Difficulties range from personal hygiene issues like not showering, brushing your teeth, or picking your nose at the dinner table to hurting someone's feelings by not including them in an activity or by saying something.
b. Individuals might have difficulty "reading" facial expressions, body language or environmental situations quickly. In addition they might have difficulty using this information to change their behavior and language to meet the social situation at hand. They are not taking into consideration these variables when talking and interacting with others. Social interactions are not linear in nature. Social situations are more similar to a biofeedback, interactive, flowing model in which input effects and changes output.
2. Individuals with Asperger’s typically have a restricted range of interests, intense feelings or strong opinions of certain topics, such as religion, politics, laws, etc.
a. At times can look like obsessive compulsive disorder.
b. Difficulty getting intrusive or unwanted thoughts out of their mind.
c. Can get absorbed into an activity that they lose track of time or can block out everything going on around them.
d. When these intense interests or activities are restricted or controlled by others you will typically see a "rage" episode like the world is coming to an end.
e. These restricted interests will impact social interactions if peers want to do something different.
3. Individuals with Asperger typically have communication challenges. This is a difficult area to assess at first but is critical.
a. Usually want to talk about themselves, things they did or things they are interested in.
b. Typically will not ask questions related to other people's interests.
c. Small talk or social chit chat is usually not easy or liked.
d. Might have a difficult time knowing what to say in social situations outside a work function or topics they love.
e. Difficulty with the unwritten social communication rules. For example, not calling or texting a person before 8:00am, not answering a cell phone in the movie theater, nor never asking a women her age or weight.
4. Other Challenging or Difficult Areas
a. Sensory issues such as smells, textures, sounds, etc. May have a difficult time blocking out noises when trying to read or sleep.
b. Might be a picky eater.
c. Sleep problems such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the middle of sleep and not being able to fall back to sleep, early wakening. In addition there is tremendous anxiety created about sleep and the problems they know they are going to have that night about not being able to sleep.
d. Difficulty with handwriting or written language.
e. Might be able to solve math problems but not able to show the work.
f. Individuals with Asperger’s may have very good verbal skills and high level reading skills but may not be able to explain what it is they read.
g. During anger or meltdowns usually can not remember things that were said or done.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Our Schools Are Large, What Are We To Do?
ew York City accounts for approximately 42.9 percent of New York State's population with figures at more than 8 million people in 2009. On average, New York City has grown by about 42 thousand residents a year. With numbers like this, the educational system in New York City is increasingly hard to manage. With about 22% of NYC's population being under 18 years old, it's no wonder why are schools are so large and difficult to manage. Our schools are becoming so hard to manage that the city's Mayor felt like the best person for the job of Education Chancellor was someone who had years of successful management skills and no educational experience. Our educational system is larger than some companies. Our students are being pressured to perform better every year, while the resources that they need are simply being stripped away through budget cuts. Surely many would agree that in order to have students succeed, they need to be given the right tools.
More parents are turning to private schools to get their children the tools they need to succeed, but many of these schools are attempting to find the best way to maximize a student's performance in school. I don't think any parent would disagree that nobody can get through to their children like they can. Beyond an emotional attachment, I wonder why that is. One theory that exists, which would be in line with this thought, is that children learn best as they get more personal attention. Or stated mathematically larger classes equal less personal attention equals worse student performance. An article in the journal “The Future of Children” about a Tennessee study on class size in 1995 concluded that children performed better when having smaller class sizes earlier on in their educational career. A suggestion made by this study was to increase personal attention for students through the incorporating of technology in the classroom and a new teaching style where teachers focused their teaching to different groups of student at different times (The Future of Children Vol. 5, No. 2).
It would seem that this message would have gotten through to our decision makers, however it is clouded by contradictory arguments. I would say that when contemplating an issue as controversial as this, one would understand why. The controversy stems from contradictory statistics from various articles and journals. I would argue that these students are not statistics, they are human beings with distinct backgrounds and distinct learning styles. This is something essential to being human, would you rather be catered to or treated like a number? I believe the answer is obvious, and therefore would extrapolate that our students would like it too. You be the judge.
More parents are turning to private schools to get their children the tools they need to succeed, but many of these schools are attempting to find the best way to maximize a student's performance in school. I don't think any parent would disagree that nobody can get through to their children like they can. Beyond an emotional attachment, I wonder why that is. One theory that exists, which would be in line with this thought, is that children learn best as they get more personal attention. Or stated mathematically larger classes equal less personal attention equals worse student performance. An article in the journal “The Future of Children” about a Tennessee study on class size in 1995 concluded that children performed better when having smaller class sizes earlier on in their educational career. A suggestion made by this study was to increase personal attention for students through the incorporating of technology in the classroom and a new teaching style where teachers focused their teaching to different groups of student at different times (The Future of Children Vol. 5, No. 2).
It would seem that this message would have gotten through to our decision makers, however it is clouded by contradictory arguments. I would say that when contemplating an issue as controversial as this, one would understand why. The controversy stems from contradictory statistics from various articles and journals. I would argue that these students are not statistics, they are human beings with distinct backgrounds and distinct learning styles. This is something essential to being human, would you rather be catered to or treated like a number? I believe the answer is obvious, and therefore would extrapolate that our students would like it too. You be the judge.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Homeschool and Creative Writing
As a homeschooling parent, I can say that it’s not easy making sure I cover all of the subjects my children need, much less all of the subjects that they want. We have an online homeschool curriculum that more than satisfies the requirements for language arts, math, science and social studies (at least for grade levels K-8 at any rate). We supplement with yet another online program for spelling, vocabulary and even handwriting. But when children start developing personal interests and trying to explore natural talents, like art, fine arts and creative writing…well, that’s when things can get tough for many parents.
Take creative writing for example. That’s an area where many homeschooling parents struggle. But you don’t have to. As with any other homeschool program you look at for your children, you will find one that will mesh with your family. You may have to take pieces from a couple of different programs, but you will find something that works.
Look at your current curriculum as a guide. If your children work well with a complete, or boxed, curriculum comprised of textbooks and workbooks, then you may want to go that route with your writing program. If your children do well with online instruction in other subjects, then you may want to look into an online writing curriculum. There are great online programs out there, like Time4Writing. Time4Writing has a multitude of eight week courses you can choose from, in all grade levels from elementary to high school.
A huge benefit to an online program like T4W, is that your homeschooler actually has an online teacher. This can take at least a small portion of the teaching burden away from a homeschooling parent. Your homeschoolers will also have to report to said teacher, which is something many homeschooling parents appreciate as it gives their children an opportunity to be accountable to someone other than just mom and dad.
Whether you go with workbooks or an online program, creative writing help is out there for homeschoolers. And regardless of which direction you go, you’ll know you are helping your child learn something they want to learn, and do well with it!
Take creative writing for example. That’s an area where many homeschooling parents struggle. But you don’t have to. As with any other homeschool program you look at for your children, you will find one that will mesh with your family. You may have to take pieces from a couple of different programs, but you will find something that works.
Look at your current curriculum as a guide. If your children work well with a complete, or boxed, curriculum comprised of textbooks and workbooks, then you may want to go that route with your writing program. If your children do well with online instruction in other subjects, then you may want to look into an online writing curriculum. There are great online programs out there, like Time4Writing. Time4Writing has a multitude of eight week courses you can choose from, in all grade levels from elementary to high school.
A huge benefit to an online program like T4W, is that your homeschooler actually has an online teacher. This can take at least a small portion of the teaching burden away from a homeschooling parent. Your homeschoolers will also have to report to said teacher, which is something many homeschooling parents appreciate as it gives their children an opportunity to be accountable to someone other than just mom and dad.
Whether you go with workbooks or an online program, creative writing help is out there for homeschoolers. And regardless of which direction you go, you’ll know you are helping your child learn something they want to learn, and do well with it!
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